Thursday, August 7, 2014

The owners of the Sushi Cafe are ditching the Cafe 5501 concept for their space at 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd. and going for the delicious with Oishi Hibachi and Thai. Oishi means fabulously delicious, and hibachi, in this case, means teppanyaki, a smokeless grill so versatile, co-owner Robert Tju said, that you can cook everything from popcorn to crepes on it. Popcorn is not going to be on offer, but you’ll be able to order seafood, chicken, beef, salmon and other fish cooked teppanyaki-style on the four grills to be placed in the center of the dining area. The Thai food will be served at tables, and the decor will be contemporary with Thai touches. Oishi Hibachi and Thai will have a new patio — an indoor outdoor space at the entrance to the restaurant that can be used year-long — and a private dining room in what Tju called the “glass room.” Fifty people will be able to sit around the grills; the restaurant will seat 200 in all. Tju said Oishi Hibachi and Thai will appeal to family dining and prices will be affordable. Soon, Oishi’s Facebook page will feature a video showing what to expect at the restaurant. Tju said the chefs have been hired and the restaurant plans a soft opening Aug. 15.

Though no identification has been made, human remains found in the West Little Rock park where Ebby Steppach's car was located in 2015 could belong to the missing teenager.

The Department of Correction reported Sunday the deaths of an inmate at Brickeys, the East Arkansas Regional unit of the Department of Correction, and an inmate at the Varner unit in Grady, both in single-man cells, within 12 hours of one another.

New music from Isaac Alexander.

A packed episode this week of "No Small Talk": a chat with Katy Henriksen, from Of Note on KUAF; Stephanie Smittle breaks down the Spring Arts issue; and we finish up with just a tiny bit of Oscar chatter.